Yeast head gone already??

[jodrell]

After making 2 brews using kits I decided to jump in with both feet and go straight to an all-grain brew.

I did it yesterday and think I've learned quite a few things to make a few improvements and make things go easier next time.

I do however have a possible problem and so a question about the severity of the issue and how, if possible, I can fix it. After letting the Wort cool down to just under 30 degrees I added some rehydrated brewing yeast as directed (1tsp/gallon) into the fermenting bin, put the lid on and placed it into my brewing fridge (set to maintain around 20 degrees air temp).

That was last night at 9pm. When i checked this morning there is a marking on the fermenting bin suggesting that the yeast had formed a head about 5cm deep but it appears to have all gone already. The yeast head on my previous brews was in place for several days.

When moving the Wort from the boiler to the fermenting bin, I used a syphon tube and allowed the liquid to fall in order to stir air into the it but did nothing else to help aerate it. I've just read somewhere that it is suggested that the Wort not be aerated above 30 degrees (which mine would have been) as the oxygen will not be retained?

Do I have a serious problem and is there anything I can do about it?

 

[Dunfie]

I don't think there is anything to worry about. Sometimes beers can ferment down at a tremendous rate although it is usually when you pitch very high rates of yeast. Also, some dried yeast fall into the beer more than others so it might just be a characteristic of the yeast you are using (you don't mention which one).

Have you taken a gravity reading today to see if there has been any movement overnight?

 

[jodrell]

oops, sorry . . . looks like I may have jumped the gun. I'm a little concerned about my first AG Baby!

I'm using Young's Dried Active Yeast (http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/young-s-yeast-500g.html). I didn't take a gravity reading last night and wasn't going to take any as I didn't want to take the lid off or disturb the beer. However I've just been down to take one in order to help monitor the problem and there is actually a couple of inches of light fluffy yeast head on the beer still :-)

 

[craigite]

Yep, we all did that on first brew; or maybe the first 10 brews :pray:

Sounds like you baby is doing fine. :thumb:

 

[Dunfie]

Sounds like the jobs a good'un. :

 

[Baz Chaz]

It's surprising sometimes, I've had a brew that went ballistic within 24 hrs of pitching the yeast and the foam had all but disappeared by the next day :!: Had one doing nothing after 24 hours, gave it a good whisking up and that also went mad overnight, odd stuff sometimes does unexpected things I think :?

 

[tubby_shaw]

Err, you do know that the yeast you have used is not a beer yeast :wha:

What you have got there is a GP wine yeast and although it will ferment your beer it won't show the same head and fermentation characteristics as an ale yeast :|

 

[jodrell]

oh, errrrrr . . . no. Is Yeast not 'just' Yeast then (I'm guessing that the answer to that is a big fat no but I'm hoping that someone will either explain of point me in the right direction).

Will is have a significant impact on the final brew??

 

[tubby_shaw]

Yeast is the biggest contributer to the flavour profile of a beer.
If you split a wort and ferment with two different yeasts you will get two different beers.
Wine yeast will ferment more of the sugars in your beer leaving you with a much drier beer.

 

[jodrell]

ah, OK...so should I not leave it in first stage fermentation for quite so long then (say 2 weeks rather than the 3 I was going to leave it), or is it more about the types of sugar that they use so the timing isn't going to make much of a difference?

 

[tubby_shaw]

The length of time in the fv won't make much difference as the yeast will consume all the sugar it can within a week or so.
I would put this one down to experience :thumb:

 

[jodrell]

ah well, maybe I'll prefer it this way . . . although it does mean I'm going to have to brew it again using beer yeast this time - oh dear, what a pity, never mind ;-)

 

[tubby_shaw]

That's the home brew spirit :thumb:

 

[jamesb]

That's the home brew spirit :thumb:

I hope not, it's against the forum rules :lol: